A Half-formed Thing
by piper maru duchovny
Summary: Harper Victoria Danes is: a star on the cross country course, the spitting image of her father, terrified of disappointing her mother, in love with Kwan Van Gerbig, mostly just trying to survive tenth grade. She is fifteen, the age of in between. A half-formed thing. - non-revival compliant, post season 7 Lorelai/Luke family fic


**As I have once again watched the series, the character of Harper Danes came to live in my head and would not leave me alone. So here is a non-revival compliant Java Junkie with kids story. I hope you all enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer: Alas, I am penniless and I own them not, nor do I seek to gain any pennies from writing the following words.**

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 _"You'll give her name. In the stitches of her skin she'll wear your say."_  
-Eimear McBride

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A constellation was scrawled across the back of her hand in faded permanent marker; placed there during a moment of boredom at the beach the weekend before and nearly worried away by lake water and showers and time in the past four days. Locks of sun-kissed chestnut hair slipped from the braid that she'd done haphazardly in the predawn darkness of her bedroom that morning and clung to her sweat dampened skin as her shoes slapped the pavement underneath. Her chest ached, lungs feeling as though they could burst, as she rounded the corner and headed down the lane toward home she pushed herself even harder. Full sprint after six miles felt impossible but she was bent on shaving four seconds off her time and would do anything to make it happen as she pushed through the last block standing between her and a cold shower. Hitting the stop on her watch as her left heel skid nearly out from under her when she reached the sidewalk and she slowed to a stop, glancing down at the device around her wrist and pumping her fist in the air. "Six seconds down! Suck it, universe!"

Pacing back and forth across the lawn, she did a small cool down before she sat on the top porch step and fell backwards. The morning sun still low in the sky but not so low that she could contemplate crawling back into bed like she had almost all summer after her runs. No, today was the first day of a new school year which meant after crawling through the shower and dressing that she needed to meet her family for breakfast before they all went their separate ways. With a sigh, she sat up and retrieved the house key from the hidden pouch on her running sock and stood to let herself into the empty house; her father had been leaving for work when she had left for her run and her mother and little brother were already at the diner waiting for her to join them.

Darting up the stairs and into the bathroom she was forced to share with her brother, she raced quickly through the shower – only allowing herself to linger for the briefest moment to enjoy the way the cool water felt on her sore muscles and tanned skin. Throwing on a worn in pair of jeans and an old plaid over her favorite black tank top, she yanked her hair into a high pony as she slipped into an old pair of Converse and shouldered her book bag before she was off again. Pausing on her way out the door, she stopped to scratch her beloved black cat, Costello, under the chin before she removed him from the counter.

"Hey boy," she kissed his noggin and nuzzled him with her nose. "You know that daddy doesn't like it when you're up there. Just because the summer is over and somebody isn't going to be home with you all day doesn't mean you can just do whatever you want. Stay off the counter and I'll give you some tuna when I get home from school, yes, I will. And do not terrorize Paul Anka."

Her mother's beloved old mutt who was sleeping on the couch perked up at his name and she shot him a smile. "Go back to sleep, bud. Mama will be home to walk you on her lunch."

The dog dropped lazily back to the cushion and she gave Costello one more scratch between his ears before she slipped out the front door. She gave her watch a cursory glance and was pleased to see that she was still alright for time as she began the trek two streets over and three blocks down to the town square where her father's diner was. As she walked, she pulled her earbuds out of the pocket of her bag and plugged them into her phone and turned on some Jefferson Airplane for her morning soundtrack. Grace Slick crooned about psychedelic trips to Wonderland as she slipped into the restaurant with a smile.

"My baby," her mother called from their usual table. "Luke, Harper is here."

"I've got eyes, Lorelai," he informed his wife as he poured refills for a neighboring table. "Morning, kid. I'll get your breakfast going in a minute, waffles okay?"

"Morning, daddy," she greeted him with a kiss to his cheek as she passed by. "Waffles sound great." As she slid into the seat across from her brother and next to her mother, she greeted the older woman with a kiss to her cheek as well. "Good morning, mama."

"Did you have fun on your morning torture session," the woman asked as she slid her coffee cup over so her daughter could steal a drink. She would never understand her daughter's love for running, she didn't understand running beyond running for your life anyway, but she did know that the girl was good at it – as good as her state record setting husband had been in high school.

"Shaved six seconds off my time," Harper told her with a grin. "Coach will be happy, especially if I can repeat it at the invitational this weekend."

"That's awesome," Lorelai told her with a smile. "Do you have practice today?"

"No," Harper explained as she stole a piece of toast from her brother's plate and grinned when he was too slow to slap her hand. Taking a bite, she placed it back on his plate. "Coach wants us to rest today. We'll have a light practice tomorrow and Friday so we don't push ourselves too hard before Saturday."

"You want to come to the inn after school," she offered. "Make a little extra cash for your birthday concert trip? Help mama out big time by doing so?"

"Sure," Harper agreed with a grin. "Only two weeks left."

"Ugh," Lorelai groaned. "Do not remind me. My baby girl is going to be sixteen. Your sophomore year starts today! You're going to kick ass at that running thing this weekend. Next, you'll be taking over the running world and I'll just be old." She turned and pouted at her son. "William, my baby boy, you won't grow up this fast, will you? You'll hold onto childhood for your mama, won't you?"

"I'll be eleven in two months," the boy told her around a bite of scrambled eggs. He was the spitting image of his mother with his raven locks and piercing bright blue eyes; he had also inherited his mother's proclivity for being more ornery than dirt. "And it is Liam, _Lorelai_."

"That is _mom_ to you, junior smartass."

Luke placed a plate of food in front of his daughter and smiled when his wife caught his hand. "Are the children making you nuts again?"

"Yes," Lorelai told him with an exaggerated sigh. "Why did we decide to procreate again?"

Harper wrinkled her nose. "Gag me."

"Don't be a prude," Lorelai instructed. "I'm fairly sure you walked in on us creating your brother."

"And then blocked out my entire fourth and fifth years due to emotional trauma," she fired back as she dug into her waffles.

"Can you believe that one is almost sixteen," Lorelai asked her husband. "I do not feel old enough to have a sixteen year old."

Harper turned to her dad and grinned. "You wanna tell her that she has a kid in her late thirties or can I?"

"Demon spawn," her mother taunted.

"Speaking of your sisters," Luke interjected. "Guess who is going to make it for your birthday?"

"Well considering you said sisters," Harper countered. "I'm guessing either Rory or April but probably Rory because she, you know, lives in our timezone."

"They're both going to make it," he explained. "Rory is coming up for the whole weekend and, try not to make me go deaf when you scream happily, but April is going to be here for two weeks."

"What," she asked, breathless and excited. "We haven't seen her since Christmas! She's been so busy on that new project with Cal Tech that she couldn't get away and she said she had another month or two before she'd be able to take a break."

"Well I guess they've got a funding issue and so she's trying to get a grant or something from this place in Boston so she won't be here constantly because she's got meetings with them but she's going to be here between meetings and definitely for your birthday."

"So," Harper clarified. "You're saying that not only do I get to go see my favorite band with my best friends, with Dave and Martha and no other adults as supervision, and both my big sisters are making it home for my birthday?"

"Jess said something about coming in from Philly for the day too," Luke told her with a grin.

"Best birthday ever!"

"Siblings I actually like," Liam cheered and then frowned when he received a swift kick to his shin. "Mom! She-"

"You're such a brat," Harper told him with a roll of her eyes.

"Both of you knock it off," Luke ordered. "Eat your breakfasts or I'll put your sisters up in hotels and neither of you will get to see either of them until you learn to get along."

"Harsh, babe," Lorelai piped in. "That punishes us too you know?"

"Maybe we'll join Rory and April at the hotel and these two can stay with your mother for the weekend."

Harper gasped. "Daddy, you're mean this morning."

"Eat your breakfast," he instructed. "And be kind. I've gotta go run my business."

The teenager dug into her food as her father slipped away. "Don't you need to be getting the little one to school?"

"I am not little," the ten year old informed her with a scowl.

Lorelai checked the time on her daughter's wrist. "No, Liam, you are not little. You are however going to be late for school if we don't get going. Traffic in Hartford sucks." She took a final sip from her coffee mug before relinquishing it to her daughter. "Finish that for me?"

"You know that dad doesn't like it when you caffeinate me."

"Well a little isn't gonna hurt," she told her with a shrug as she dropped a kiss to her head. "You sure you don't want to go to the big fancy Hartford school with your brother?"

"Do we have to have this discussion every year," Harper asked with an eyebrow raised. "I tried the big fancy school in Hartford and I didn't like it, remember? The panic attacks and crying jags ring a bell?"

Lorelai frowned and nodded. "I just don't want you to feel neglected or left out."

"Ma, the private school thing worked for Rory and April and Liam seems to be loving it but it is just not meant for me," she explained. "I am perfectly happy at Stars Hollow High with friends I love and things I am good at."

"Okay," Lorelai relented and kissed her daughter's head once more. "I love you, my tiny Luke."

"Love you, mama," Harper promised and reached across the table to ruffle her brother's hair. "Have a good first day at school, twerp. Prep good."

"You too, pizza face," Liam fired back with a grin. "Delinquent nicely."

"The love my family shares is such a beautiful thing," Lorelai spoke to the diner as she guided her son out by the collar of his shirt, pausing at the door to holler back at her husband. "I'll be back later, Luke. Maybe for some afternoon delight."

"Aw geez," all three Danes family members groaned.

Lorelai laughed. "I love it!"

Harper rolled her eyes affectionately as she watched her mother guide her brother down the steps to the Jeep. Turning her attention back to her breakfast, she dug in heartily as she slid an earbud into one ear and switched from Jefferson Airplane to Whiskey Hotel – a band that Jess had gotten her into over the summer. Jess was one of her favorite people in existence and he seemed to enjoy her, at least he didn't complain too much about his kid cousin ruining his street cred. He was constantly mailing her music from new bands that he'd found or advanced reader copies of books that Truncheon was putting out that he thought she might like.

She had just finished draining her mother's coffee mug when her father sat down in her brother's vacated seat. A sheepish grin on her face, she glanced at him. "Hi daddy."

Luke sighed. "I suppose you're almost sixteen so I should probably stop fighting this coffee thing, huh?"

"At least Liam doesn't like it very much," she told him apologetically. "You might be able to sway him to your side."

"Maybe." He gave his daughter a rare smile. "You ready for your first day of sophomore year?"

"Doubt it'll be that different from last year," she told him with a shrug. "So, sure."

"I'm proud of you, kid," he told her as he reached over to run a hand over her head. "You know that, right?"

"Yep," she told him as she finished her breakfast. "Caught that memo. You want me to bus a few tables before I head to school? I've got a few minutes."

"You just want concert money."

She shrugged. "At least I'm cheap labor?"

"Uh-huh," he told her with a grin. "As soon as Lane gets here, you head out."

"Yes sir."

Lane came in the door eleven minutes and several bussed tables later. Harper leaned around the order window's wall to press a farewell kiss to her father's cheek while he manned the grill before slipping out from behind the counter. "Morning Lane."

"Hey kiddo," Lane greeted her. "You excited for school?"

"Sure," she told her with a shrug. "The boys already there?"

"They are." Lane pulled on her apron and nudged the teenager with her hip. "Kwan said that he has some new music for you and he's gonna wait for you at your locker."

"Oh." She smiled and then saw the look on Lane's face. "Shut up."

"I can't wait to someday tell people that my best friend's little sister is my daughter-in-law." She sighed dreamily and laughed.

Harper narrowed her eyes. "Shut up twice." Grabbing her book bag from the hook by the door, she slung it over her shoulder. "I am out of here. See all of you later!"

Lane's teasing laughter chased her out to the sidewalk and with a quick glance both ways she sprinted across the street towards the high school. Harper Victoria Danes had been harboring a crush on Kwan Van Gerbig since she was seven years old and the then nine year old had saved her life when she tripped over her own two feet and had fallen off the dock into the lake. If the boy ever figured it out, Harper was fairly certain that the ground would actually open up and swallow her whole.

Maggie Belleville was waiting for her at the front doors and pushed away from the wall to fall in step beside her, flinging an arm around her shoulders as they walked into the school together. Maggie was a grade ahead of and a year older than her but the two of them had been thick as thieves since the day she was born. They hadn't seen each other in more than two weeks due to unfortunate timing of their families respective vacations; first the Bellevilles had gone to a family reunion in the Carolinas and then the Gilmore-Danes clan had rode out the last vestiges of summer break at the old Danes family cabin several hours away in the middle of nowhere Massachusetts. To say that the girls had suffered withdrawal pains would be an understatement.

"I've missed you," Maggie whined. "How could you go and leave me with those two boys for the past week and a half?"

"I had to put up with them the week before that," Harper countered. "Besides, you had Martha and Doula for company."

"Martie may love you but she is my big sister," Maggie explained. "She barely tolerates my existence, especially since she's now eighteen and a senior and apparently answers to no one. And I am sorry, I know she is your cousin, but Doula is actually certifiable."

Harper laughed. "You just don't know how to function without me."

"Truer words have never been spoken, my friend," Maggie agreed.

She wrapped her arms around her best friend's waist in a hug as they walked down the hall, making the crowds part for them so they wouldn't be forced to let go of one another. A few of the kids grumbled but most knew that Maggie and Harper were joined at the hip and it was easier to move out of the way for the unstoppable force rather than to be the immovable object. "Speaking of the two boys, I've gotta meet Kwan at my locker. Lane said that he has new music for me."

"Oh geez," Maggie sighed. "I just got you back. I don't want to share you yet."

"Too bad," Harper fired back. "I haven't seen Kwan since before I left town either."

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, avoid him a little while longer and he may actually kiss you like you've wanted him to do for years."

"Someone woke up on the bitch side of the bed," Harper grumbled.

"You know I love watching you two trip all over each other but I've missed you and I don't want to share."

"Uh-huh and you'll tell me the whole story later," Harper asked, knowing there had to be more to her best friend's clingy mood than that.

"Sure," Maggie promised, knowing there was no point in denying she was hiding something especially when she wanted to talk to her best friend about it anyway. "After school?"

"On the way to the inn," Harper promised. "Now are you going to have separation anxiety and throw a tantrum if I go find Kwan?"

"No," Maggie relented and let go of her. "Go reunite with the love of your life."

"Shut up, Margaret."

"No can do, Mrs Van Gerbig."

Harper rolled her eyes. "I am _so_ glad to be home."


End file.
